So you’ve sent your thousandth cold email of the week with an eye-catching headline and a perfectly crafted pitch.

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And yet… no reply. Crickets. The slow painful realization that “Hope this finds you well!” may not have been enough.

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It isn’t just you. Cold email response rates average between 1% and 5%, leaving many people wondering what went wrong.

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Before you rewrite your whole pitch or assume no one wants what you’re offering, here’s something to consider:

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When they Google you (and they will) what will they find? If the answer is outdated content, a “coming soon” website, or a dog food brand with a suspiciously similar name, that’s your problem.

Cold outreach isn’t just about what you say. If someone’s considering giving you their time, platform, money, or attention, they’re going to sniff around. 

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Here’s what should be Googleable within 30 seconds of opening your browser:

• Your name and what you do (bonus if it’s consistent across platforms)
• Your company or project’s name
• Your website or portfolio
• At least one third-party validation: a feature, a quote, a client shoutout, something that proves you're for real.

A bold pitch means nothing if your search results say: “Who dis?”

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Not Sure What’s Googleable? Try This Mini Self-Audit:

Take 3 minutes. Open a new tab and follow these exact steps:

• Google your full name in quotes Type: "Your Full Name"

This shows only exact matches, not random results with just your first or last name. Add some context:

• Try: "Your Full Name" + your city
• "Your Full Name" + your company
• "Your Full Name" + your school

This helps narrow it down to you, not 37 other people with the same name. Scan for these red flags:

• Nothing recent – You look like a ghost.
• Brand confusion – Someone else (or something sketchy) owns your name.
• Old photos + bios – It screams “I haven’t updated anything since college.”

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Bonus: Google your email You’d be surprised what shows up on random forums, lists, and directories.

If what you’re seeing makes you cringe, you’re not alone, but now you know what to clean up.

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How you can fix your un-googleability:

Own your digital footprint. If your audit comes up short, don’t panic. Start with the three most visible, searchable profiles that hold the most weight, for both humans and algorithms. 

Your LinkedIn profile is usually one of the first results Google serves. Update:

• Your headline to reflect what you actually do (or want to do)
• Your URL to be clean and simple (like /in/yourname).
  
  • No one is going to click linkedin.com/in/marketinggirl8237lol. Aim for /yourname. 
• Your photo and banner to look current and on-brand

This is your digital business card... even if you’re not job hunting, people will check it.

Your website or “About” page. Whether it’s a full site, a Notion page, or a Canva portfolio, make sure your “About” section includes:

• What you do
• Who you help or work with
• How to contact you

Google Business/Profile (or Google Account bio). If you’re a founder, freelancer, or creative with a business, your Google Business listing is prime SEO real estate. It’s like planting your flag on the internet and saying “Yes, I exist, and I do cool shit.” Even if not, your Google account bio (what shows in Gmail/Docs/YouTube) is searchable. Update:

• Name
• Title
• Website link
• Location (if relevant)

If you show up in Google search, maps, or autocomplete — make sure it's you showing up, not your doppelgänger from Ohio.

Above all, make sure your information is consistent. Search engines (and AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Overviews) pull from structured, repeated, and relevant information.

If your LinkedIn says “marketing specialist,” your website says “branding consultant,” and your old Twitter bio still says “college student,” congrats! You’ve just confused every client and the Google algorithm.

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Borrow credibility. You don’t need a Forbes feature right off the bat to boost your credibility, you just need someone else vouching for you.

Here are two quick wins you can try this week:

• Reply to a HARO or Help a B2B Reporter request with a short, useful quote in your niche.
• Offer a 15-minute expert insight to a niche podcast or industry newsletter that speaks to your target audience.

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Need help reaching out? Start with this quick pitch template:

Hi [Name],

I’m [Your Name], a [what you do] who helps [your audience] with [specific benefit]. I’d love to contribute a quick quote or insight on [relevant topic] if you're still looking for sources. Let me know if I can help!
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Best,
[Your Name]

Start small, credibility compounds.

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Keep it current Your digital presence isn’t a one-and-done, it’s more like a needy houseplant. Neglect it too long and things get… crunchy.

Do a quarterly self-audit and repeat the steps above as needed. 

Bonus tool tip:

Set a Google Alert for your name so you know when new mentions pop up. Just go to google.com/alerts, type your name in quotes, and keep up on all the hot online gossip about you.

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Time for action

Now… we dare you to Google yourself right now.

If the results are a little crusty, awkward, or just straight-up invisible, book a meeting with us at Don’t Be a Little Pitch. We’ll help you clean it up, glow it up, and get found.

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